Modal symmetries at the nanoscale : a route towards a complete vectorial near-field mapping

Abstract: We use symmetry considerations to understand and unravel near-field measurements, ultimately showing that we can spatially map three distinct fields using only two detectors. As an example, we create two-dimensional field maps of the out-of-plane magnetic field and two in-plane fields for a silicon ridge waveguide. Furthermore, we are able to identify and remove polarization mixing of less than 1/30 of our experimental signals. Since symmetries are prevalent in nanophotonic structures and their near fields, our method can impact many future near-field measurements.